Geographically Poland is central. The name's "Western Europe" and "Eastern Europe", are highly politicized words, which simply subsituted for the phrases "good guys" and "bad guys", the ruling elite making it simple in laymans terms; a legacy of the cold war. However, it has been preserved because the concept is so deeply ingrained in the "western mind". Why confuse the masses by bring up "central", keep it simple.

Maps are draw up by the victors. Countries are where the victors say they are.

The Poles are certainly Central European and are not really the same race as the Russians at all. The Russians are tougher and that fact comes from the fact that historically, the Russians came from Mongolia and probably therefore have more in common with the Turks. That is why in 1945, Europe was saved by the Russians, almost single handedly.